Crib guard



Feb. 17, 1953 Q MAHAN 2,628,373

CRIB GUARD Filed July es,A 195o lf l1: 5 j; /4 /7 INVENTOR /2 ,ZWN angie ATTORNEYJ Patented Feb. 17, 1953 CRIB GUARD Lynn C. Mahan, deceased, late of New York, N. Y., by Dorothea S. Swanson, executrix, New York,

Application July 6, 1950, Serial No. 172,214

4 claims. 1

m The present invention relates to protective devicesfor use in connection with cribs for children, and has particular reference to a guard mechanism adapted for installation adjacent crib railings to act as a barrier preventing the escape of the child from the crib, and at the same time providing an amusement device adapted to occupy the attention of the child.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simply and inexpensively constructed guard mechanism for installation adjacent one or more top rails of a crib, to prevent a child from climbing over the sides of the crib.

A further object is to provide a. guard mechanism for use in connection with childrens cribs, which is safe to use, with regard to both the installation mechanism and operation of the device.

' A further object is to provide a guard device for use with childrens cribs which may be installed and removed from the crib without changing the crib structure, or marring the crib rails.

A further object is to provide a crib guard mechanism which prevents the escape of a, child from the crib by providing a rolling surface adjacent the top rails of the crib, incapable of supporting the weight'of the child.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereoftaken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

' 4Figure 1 is a perspective View of a conventional type of crib, with the safety device of the invention installed along one guard rail;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the roller mounting;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the roller ttings;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a clamp mechanism adapted to be secured removably to the guard rail of the crib to receive the roller mounting; and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional View thereof in position on the crib guard rail.

In its broadest application, the invention embodies a safety device for installation on the guard rail of a conventional type crib, comprising clamp means detachably mounted on the guard rail, a bracket supported on the clamp means, a roller member to be mounted inside the crib guard rail, and a pair of arms associated with the brackets supporting the roller for free rotation.

Referring now to the drawings, in Figure 1 there is shown a common type of crib referred to with the numeral I0, embodying a iioor section II, and two opposed end sections I2 joined by protective side members I3 to form the crib en-' closure. The side members I3 may be of rany desired type, embodying a top rail I4 serving as a guard rail to prevent the escape of a child from the crib. As the child grows, therevis always the first attempt to climb over the sides I3, which can result in serious injury to the child from the resulting fall.

It is contemplated that the guard device of the invention may be purchased as a unit with the crib, or for later installation on one or all of the four sides of the crib, as desired, the installation of a single unit being shown in the drawings for purposes of simplicity of description.

The guard device includes a roller member I5 formed of wood, metal, resilient material, or any other suitable material, adapted to be mounted inwardly of and spaced .from each guard rail I4, or along the upper edge of the end pieces I2 if it is desired to provide all around protection. The roller I5 may be marked with suitable-indicia I5a as shown, to provide for the amusement of the child as by rotation of the roller to bring different indicia to View.

I4 by means which may be detached to eiect'removal of the entire unit Without altering the guard rail by use of nails or other projecting devices providing a possible source of injury, the said means also permitting of temporary removal of the roller I5, without disturbing the mountings. This is accomplished by ymeans of a U-shaped clamp I6 adapted to be fitted to and positioned over the guard rail I4 and positively secured by means of a set screw I'I, which may be provided with a iiat head I8 adapted to rest adjacent the guard rail without damaging the surface or finish of the guard rail. The gouter' wall I9 of the clamp is provided with-a bracket 20, which preferably may be formed by a stamping operation, cutting and forming the Wall I9 to provide two opposed arms 2| defining a slot 22 therebetween, and having portions 23 normal to the plane of the Wall I9 offsetting the arms 2I from the wall to permit insertion of a member to be secured. This type of bracket is easily constructed with a minimum of expense. However, it will be apparent that the bracket 20 may be formed as a member separate from the wall I9, and welded or otherwise secured thereto.

The roller I5 is supported on either end, by

roller supports 24. Each support 24 comprises an arcuate member which terminates at one end with roller supporting mechanism 26 to be described, and at the other end with a i'lat horizontal portion 21, from which depends a vertical member 28 adapted to be inserted in the bracket 20. The member 28 is slotted at 29 whereby upon insertion in the bracket 20, the set screw I1 may be received in the slot 29. The engagement of the set screw II in the slot 29 minimizes lateral movement of the vertical members 28 relative to the bracket 20, when weight is placed upon the roller I5. The horizontal member 2'I is formed to rest flush with the flat top of the U-shaped clamp I6 when in position, supporting and Strengthening the roller support-bracket assembly.

The roller mounting mechanism 26 has a head 30 apertured to receive a bearing 3| mounted forV prerotation relative to the head 30. The end of the Vroller I is apertured as at 32 'to receive the shaft 33 of the bearing 3| whereby the roller I5 and the bearing 3I are mounted for mutual rotation.

In operation, the roller I5 and associated support mechanism assembled therewith, is mounted in the brackets 20. The roller I5 preferably is spaced sufciently from the top guard rail I4 to eliminate the possibility of the child catching its hand or arm between the guard rail of the roller in a wedging action. Due to the length of the roller support 24, there is some spring action when the full weight of the child is put on the roller, whereby damage to the roller mechanism and the guard rail I4is minimized. It will be observed that any weight placed upon the roller I5 will be subjected to a rolling action, making it impossible to gain sufficient purchase or leverage on the roller to permit the child to escape from the crib. The eiectiveness of the device as a guard mechanism is enhanced by the provision of amusing indicia on the roller which attract and engage the attention of the child, upon approach to the guard rail I4.

While .the invention has been described with reference to specific structure disclosed in the drawings, it is intended that -the invention be limited only as dened in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A guard mechanism for use in connection with a Ychilds crib constructed with enclosing walls and having Atop guard rails to prevent a child rfrom climbing over the walls of the crib, comprising a pair of clamps, arms supported by the Yclamps extending inwardly thereofz and a roller mechanism rotatably supported by the arms and spaced from said clamps,v said clamps being adapted to be secured to the top guard rail of a wall o f the crib with the said arms extending inwardly of the wall of the crib and into the crib enclosure and with said roller spaced in- Wardly of the crib guard rail.

2. A portable guard mechanism for use in connection with a crib having a guard rail to prevent the escape of a child from the crib by climbing over the guard rail, comprising a pair of clamps adapted to be detachably secured to the guard rail of a crib, a bracket formed on each clamp, a pair of roller supporting armshaving ends for insertion in the brackets, and "a roller supported by the other ends of the arms for free rotation relative to the arms.

3. A portable guard device for use in combination with a childs crib having enclosing guard rails to prevent the child from escaping fromthe crib, comprising a pair of clamps each including spaced vertical walls joined by a horizontal top member to form a U-shaped device adapted to be tted over a guard rail of the crib, a bracket on each clamp, a roller, a, pair of arms supporting the roller, each arm having a flat horizontal -stripportion spaced away from the roller supporting end and a vertical strip por-r tion depending from the end of each horizontal strip portion and adapted to be inserted into one of Vsaid brackets to mount each arm on ka clamp, the flat horizontal strip portion resting flush with and being supported'by the top member of the clamp when the roller'supporting arm is in home position in the bracket.

4. A portable guard device forv use in combination wit-h childs crib having enclosing guard rails to prevent the child from escaping from the crib, comprising a pair of clamps each including spaced vertical wallsjjoined by a horlzontal top member to form a U-shaped device adapted to be iitted over a guard rail of the crib, brackets on the clamps, a roller, a pair of arms supporting the roller, a at horizontal strip forming a part of .each arm awayfrom the roller supporting end, a verticalstrip depending from the end of each flat strip and adapted to be inserted in the bracket'to mount each arm on a clamp, a set screw adapted to secure the clamp to the guard rail, each ofsaid vertical strips having a slot adapted to'straddlethe shank of the set screw thereby being held against lateral move. ment relative to the bracket.

DOROTHEA S. .SWANSON, Eecutria: of the Estate of Lynn C. Mahan, De-

ceased.

REFERENCES CITED The followingv references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 46,881 Clark Mar. 2l, 1865 259,654 Worthington June 13, 1882 1,593,171 Haberl July 20, 1926 

